The Media
The Media
The congress approval ratings have reached a new low with 87% disapproving it according to GfK poll. The poll suggests that Americans are not happy with the Congress in the outcome of the debt crisis. The poll similarly finds the tea party being on the losing end, with this being attributed to the idea of trimming spending and the elevation of taxes. This disharmony in Washington brings to light a year that Congress was engaged in fierce battle before it was able to acquire a lift of the debt ceiling, directing the bipartisan committee to trim over $ 1 trillion of the federal spending by the end of last year. The aim was however not acquired.
The prior reading approval rating of 13%has been doing received an approval rating of 13% as noticed in August, October and November as well as the last month of 2010. The highest approval rating that Congress has acquired is 84% which dates back to 2001 in October; the month had been in touch with terrorist attacks in New York and Washington (post). The present disapproval rate of 86% is the highest since time in history, with an 84% in August.
The Congress has however never been popular since the past. The mean yearly approval rate is 34%. While the current 17% mean yearly rate is below by a point, as reported by Gallup. It is to some small mean yearly rate smaller than what was reported in 2010 and 2008 recording 19%. The Democrats, republicans, and independents have all given Congress Low ratings. In the past three months, Democrats have been on the bad side similarly as the republicans and independents about congress. The democrats gave them a 14% approval, the independents with 7% and the republicans giving a 12%. These groups held the same negative view in the month of August where the approval rate of the democrats declined. Most of the year in 2009 and 2010 as well other months, the democrats have been on the better side giving them better approval ratings when compared to independents and Republicans.
With a lot of dissatisfaction being experienced, the poll also sees that people are not happy their own member of Congress in addition to the institution. This survey has being attributed as being unusual and expected to make the Congress unsettled. According to interviews, people attributed the debt standoff that resulted to the deterioration of confidence to tear through world markets making them wonder if the lawmakers are in a position to govern at all.
With this new low in the approval ratings of the congress, the lawmakers are set to back in Washington to begin their legislative year. The house is set to be engaged in a vote that would disapprove President Obama’s proposed elevation of the debt limit. This is certain to impact on the struggle for the presidency this year. Politicians, with no consideration for their party, have nothing to gain by extending the debate. And they bring out clearly the distance in the public’s desire and the tea party’s cut-it-or-shut-it attitude which assisted the Republicans into the House the previous year.
The acquisition of the public’s trust is free for the taking by any one. The number is however not a permanent number as some groups desire a shift of increasing the taxes so as to make stable the budget. A section of the public opts that the focus should now be on increasing taxes as opposed to trimming government services. Approximately 57% of the respondents have faith that there would be an increase in taxes and that the government services would be trimmed so as to acquire equilibrium in the budget.
The present record-low approval rating of the congress is part of a number other approval ratings that it has acquired this year. The year 2011 will hence acquire the attribute of a time that Americans lost faith with the congress who were to represent them. Though it is hard to acquire the main reason; it may be perceived that the poor economy, high polarization in the political parties and elevated levels of capability of the congress to find a consensus on how to resolve problems. With similar poor ratings in the past, it is hence hard to know how Americans are set to vote in the coming general elections.
The democrats are risking losing support of the subgroups, composing of the independents, conservative democrats, and the lowly educated Democrats. In the past US election, the supporters of Hillary Clinton were part of this group while the black democrats were loyal to the party with no consideration for the winner. In this election, the number of democrats who stated as going to vote for the republican, John McCain in the election brings forth intriguing questions that the democrats are more likely to lose in coming elections.
In the nominations, Hillary Clinton supporters stated as would go and vote for McCain if the election were to be held between him and Obama. There are vivid contrasts by the subgroup in self-reported vote for McCain in an instance where Obama won the nomination. This broadly stated as some supporters of Hillary Clinton are feared to ditching the party and voting for the republican. The rate of people set to leave are rated on 28% with the Clinton supporters well above this average while the blacks, liberal Democrats, well-educated and rigid democrats are below this rating.
The supporters of Clinton with high levels of education are less likely to vote for Obama in the coming fall, while the ones with limited formal education are to vote in the republican. In terms of gender, there only exists limited variation for Clinton supporters for McCain against nominated Obama.
The ratings for democratic voters that would elect Obama come the nomination but would vote for McCain if Clinton was nominated are lower class amongst the subgroup variedly different from the Clinton supporters with an Obama vs. McCain going. This brings out clearly that Obama supporters are in limited likelihood to ditch the party and vote for the republican, even if the democrat does not acquire nomination for the democrats. It is reported that 19% of the democrats for Obama are to vote for the republican with Clinton nominated, contrast from the 28% of Clinton shifting with Obama nominee.
The Obama supporters who would support McCain with Clinton as the nominee are of the subgroup composed of independents with democratic affiliation, conservative democrats, moderate democrats, and whites with Non-Hispanic origin. Age does not play a part in this.
It is clear that the 2008 election brought the downfall of the democratic support, with portrayal of the risk being eminent in the subgroups. The independent voters are affiliated democratically are the highest when compared to all the other subgroups to state that they would vote for McCain, a republican if their candidate does not acquire the nomination to stand for the democrats. Moreover, the conservative democrats are stated as being limited leaning to the party when compared to the liberal democrats and desire to vote in McCain their candidate does not acquire nomination.
Approximately half of the Clinton supporters are set to vote for the republican with Obama acquiring the nomination of the democrats. Though still high, a limited number of these groups uphold support for Obama with a Clinton nomination.
These results are not astonishing, but bring to light how vulnerable the democrats are with the voters being the main decision makers. This also brings to light the rigid appeal that the republican, John McCain, has on the independent voters who only require a small push for them to move their vote from the democrat. On the side of the black democrats, they have shown a rigid stance of support to the party with no consideration of who is nominated (Newport). It is hence has no risk for the democrats on maintaining the black support with a Clinton nominee.
The consequent result is quite vital. Obama has a significant support of the black Democratic Party and has not shown any ditching set to happen if he lost the nomination. These brings to light that with Clinton as the selected nominee, she is set to win the black vote and meet McCain. This information however does not take into consideration any form of motivation or result, which might be small with a loss in nomination for Obama.
There is no major contrast in the data in relation to gender, the male and female persons ten to bring out the format in predictable vote for McCain with only small contrast being expected. With no major desire to vote for McCain in the age groups, an evaluation brings to light the reluctance to vote in a Democratic candidate with age increase. This is if their nominee preferred is not taken. This is due to the undecided vote increases with age. The elderly democrats are less poised to vote for a republican with a fall of their candidate. In short the elderly voters are expected to be undecided.
Bibliography
Newport, Frank. “Democratic Groups Most at Risk of Deserting.” Gallup Politics (March 27, 2008).
post, Huff. “Congress Approval Rating: Poll Shows 87% Disapprove Of Congress.” politics (March 20, 2012).
